Quotes: "The sudden assertion of human criteria within a dehumanising framework of political manipulation can be like a flash of lightning illuminating a dark landscape
- Vaclav Havel"
MANIFESTO of The Republican Party of Namibia
The Republican Party of Namibia acknowledges God, the Trinity, as the
Sovereign creator of the universe, who has entrusted to humanity the right and
responsibility to rule over the affairs of the world.
Source: Founding Statement (Art. 2)
The Republican Party of Namibia believes that Namibia must be a nation in
submission to the Almighty God. The Republic Party believes in a constitutional state
that promotes Christian moral values and as such rejects the concept of Namibia as a
secular state.
The Republican Party will strive to mobilize all Namibian citizens, regardless of race
and ethnic origin, bound by common democratic values, to exercise their fundamental
right of participation in all governmental institutions and processes in order to:
• Uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia
• Strive tirelessly towards the achievement of freedom and equality and the
eradication of all forms of corruption, suppression, unfair preference and nepotism.
• Promote improved human relations and national reconciliation
• Secure peace, security and stability by means of social, economic and human
development. Source: Program of Principles (Art 3)
Amendments to the Constitution
The RP will oppose any irresponsible and politically motivated amendments
to the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia as well as any effort to infringe
upon the fundamental rights enshrined in Chapter 3 of the Constitution.
Unemployment and Poverty
The Republican Party will strive to eradicate poverty and address the failure of
the Swapo government to manage the unacceptable and ever increasing rate of
unemployment among all sections of the population. The Republican Party shall
apply all its efforts:
• To have a Ministry for Employment Creation & Poverty Reduction established, with
employment creation units in all major centres across Namibia.
• To have a credible database developed country wide in order to determine the true
level of poverty in rural as well as urban areas.
• To initiate, support and subsidize sustainable, labour intensive development
projects throughout the country. This will be done in every town and village to
stimulate economic growth by creating desperately needed jobs.
• To ensure preference to be given to the least developed and poorest regions
i.e. Kavango, Caprivi and Karas regarding development projects, infrastructure
development and provision of basic services like running water, electricity and
sewerage reticulation to urban households and rural villages.
• To identify markets locally, regionally and internationally where the goods
produced and manufactured at these projects can be sold;
• To ensure that preference be given to local companies in the awarding of
government tenders and contracts.
• To encourage foreigners in any field of expertise, who want to transfer their skills
to our people, to come to Namibia and assist us in empowering our people and by
doing so strengthening our economy,
• To place an immediate embargo on the seemingly uncontrolled influx of Chinese
and other internationals who do not make any contribution towards skills transfer
and capacity building.
• To introduce tax- and other incentives for private companies and farmers, to
encourage them to employ more workers.
• To ensure that Local and Regional authorities provide work for the informal sector
through the execution of small, labour intensive projects.
• To have land and processing facilities provided in the areas where informal
enterprises could contribute to urban agriculture.
• To establishment small and medium enterprises by revising and updating current
outdated by-laws and regulations rather than suppressing initiatives.
• To have the Local authorities subsidize basic services like water and electricity of
pensioners and those who prove that they cannot pay.
Housing
The Republican Party shall apply all its efforts:
• To ensure that Local and Regional Authorities speedily supply the demand for
fully serviced (water, electricity and sewerage) erven and to make these erven
available at the lowest possible prices for the low and medium income housing
market.
• To ensure that Local and Regional Authorities introduce policies and regulations
that will remove unnecessary red-tape and simplify the process of approving
building plans.
• To ensure that financial and technical assistance be made available to local and
regional authorities for the construction of affordable housing for the low income
groups
• To develop a National Housing Development Program in conjunction with
stakeholders in the public and private sector and to create a National Housing
Fund allowing the poor and unemployed to be assisted.
• To develop an Employers’ Assistance Scheme (EAS) that will partner with the
Development Bank of Namibia to encourage private companies and employers to
assist with the provision of affordable houses for their employees by giving either
tax incentives or by providing loans at subsidized rates, as is currently the case
with commercial farmers through the Agribank.
• To encourage property developers to provide houses at affordable prices, not
only by subsidizing their labour cost, but also to introduce tax incentives for the
developers.
Education and Training
80% of Namibians are said to be Christians, therefore the Republican Party will stive
to have the entire Education System adapted to ensure that our education system is
based on Christian principles with Christian Science as a subject and daily devotion
to be instituted at all schools.
The Republican Party shall apply all its efforts:
• To involve all stakeholders in creating a more adequate Namibian education
system. The consequence of the current system is resulting in inferior degrees,
diplomas and certificates that is unacceptable and utterly frustrating.
• To ensure that learners are taught moral values and that they understand that
they have to accept the responsibilities that are expected from citizens and future
leaders of our country, such as self-reliance, self-confidence, curiosity, creativity
and empowerment.
• To convince the authorities that more emphasis must be put on the teaching of
mathematics, science, languages and history.
• To have more technical schools established for those learners who would prefer a
more practically orientated education rather than a pure academic one.
• To make pre-primary free of charge and in case where the parents cannot afford it,
to have primary education subsidized by government.
• To encourage the appointment of competent, well-trained, qualified and
responsible school principals and teachers, able to manage their respective
schools responsibly,
• To convince government to employ Namibia’s own qualified and experienced
teachers and other experts in education to draw up syllabi and avoid using costly
foreign consultants.
• To have the current BETD-program reviewed and upgraded to be in line with the
requirements of the SADC tertiary education institutions as this will facilitate a
smooth transition for those who pursue further studies in the SADC region.
• To propose incentives that will encourage teachers to further their studies and
obtain higher qualifications.
• To provide decent and affordable housing to the teachers in rural areas.
• To ensure that none of the Namibian education institutions will discriminate against
any Namibian child wanting to attend pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational,
polytechnic and university education for whatever reason.
Land Reform & Resettlement
Land is a scarce, valuable and non-renewable natural resource. Land should not on
be seen as wealth in itself but rather as an instrument for wealth creation. National
resources with special reference to mineral-, fishing resources and agricultural land
must be utilized productively wisely and responsibly Once the resource is destroyed
it will result in the decrease of production, job opportunities and economic activity.
Leaving all Namibians disadvantaged.
The Republican Party shall use all its efforts to:
• To assist in the compilation of a feasible and sustainable Land Reform Policy
through public consultation with stakeholders including farm workers who are now
being evicted from farms acquired by the government.
• To ensure that the land reform strategy is coherent, consistent and is done
strictly in terms of the provisions/stipulations of the Namibian Constitution. At all
instances it must be in the public interest, which according to our understanding
means that it must benefit Namibia economically.
• To ensure that the policy will contribute to alleviating poverty and not aggravating
it, for example resettled farmers should not be allowed to retrench any of the farm
workers who used to work on the farm.
• To encourage the development of a sustainable program through which the
government will provide the necessary technical assistance and training for
beginner farmers, in cooperation with the Agricultural Unions and with their
respective Farmers’ Unions.
• To encourage the government to provide financial support to those beginner
farmers who are not in possession of enough livestock, for them to utilize their
farms optimally and to contribute to the economy of the country.
• To convince the Government that farms acquired for resettlement should be used
for beginner farmers as the first step towards ownership of a farm and not as a
dumping ground where beginner farmers are condemned to endless poverty.
• To encourage Government to have the damage done by resettled farmers restored
as a first priority and to treat that land as a non-renewable natural resource.
• To ensure that the policy of willing buyer / willing seller is respected.
• To ensure that market related prices are paid for the land.
• To have the condition waived whereby commercial farmers who want to sell
their farms, first have to offer their farms to the government. Those commercial
farmers should be allowed to withdraw their offer to sell their farms, should the
price offered by government not meet with the farmers expectations. It should be
obvious by now that these conditions only resulted in the increase of farm prices,
putting it beyond the ability of new beginner farmers to acquire land, even through
the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme.
• To encourage commercial farmers in possession of excessive land to sell it to the
government.
• To ensure that formerly disadvantaged persons who would like to become farmers,
be selected very carefully on the basis of their potential and capacity to ensure
that they could become productive farmers who will properly utilize the land
allocated to them.
• To ensure that all allocated farming units which are not productively utilized or
leased out illegally, be seized by the state, re-advertised and allocated to those
who are serious and committed to use the land productively.
• To introduce policies through which the agricultural wealth of communal areas can
be brought closer into the formal economy by rewarding protection of occupancy,
security of investment and equitable infrastructural development.
Minority Groups
Although the Republican Party has accepted ethnicity as a fact that cannot
be ignored, we will at no stage support the institutionalisation of ethnicity, or a
government based on ethnicity.
We are seriously concerned about obvious discrimination against minority groups
resulting in some groups finding themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to
employment in the civil service, resettlement and development of communal areas.
The Republican Party will not tolerate any discrimination especially when it comes to
employment opportunities in Government Ministries and State Owned Enterprises,
resettlement and land distribution.
Affirmative Action
The Republican Party fully supports the provision in our Constitution enabling
Government to enact legislation providing directly or indirectly for the advancement
of persons who have been socially, economically or educationally disadvantaged.
Unfortunately it was/is not done in accordance with the letter and spirit of the
Constitution.
The Swapo Government has based its Affirmative Action program on groups and
ethnic differences, which without any doubt, has lead to blatant discrimination on the
basis of race, colour or ethnicity. It is no secret that the ruling party is hiding behind
government’s Affirmative Action policies to employ their own comrades and friends in
positions for which they are not qualified.
The result is a Government littered with employees who are totally incompetent with
the result that in many if not all ministries and State Owned Enterprises there is very
little evidence of quality service delivery, but has only opened the door for large scale
corruption.
• A Republican Party government will not allow any form of discrimination and will
treat every Namibian purely on merit. We will do whatever is necessary to have
the policy of Affirmative Action abolished as soon as possible.
Natural Resources
Natural resources form the basis of wealth-creation, wealth which could be shared
by the entire population and more in particular by the poor and the needy. If natural
resources are not utilized wisely and productively it could result in only a small
percentage of the population benefiting, as is currently the situation.
Hundreds of thousands of Namibians depend on wealth created through the
productive utilization of natural resources, but the majority of them are being
negatively affected resulting in an increased level of unemployment.
Non-renewable natural resources such as minerals, fish, water and land are limited
and irreplaceable and should be exploited responsibly and in the interests of the
entire population. Handing out concessions to individuals on other grounds than merit
will be robbing the Nation of these sources of wealth. The receiver of a fishing or
mineral concession and/or mining licenses should not be the only beneficiary but the
population at large should benefit from the responsible and economical exploitation of
these resources.
• The Republican Party will therefore strive to promote sustainable, equitable and
efficient use of Namibia’s natural resources to improve its profitability.
• The Republican Party will also strive to convince the government not to allow local
individuals and companies, who clearly do not have the resources, to be partnered
with international companies in order for the international companies to obtain
mining and fishing licenses. In cases like this we would encourage the government
to take up a large percentage of shares and to utilize the profits generated to uplift
the living conditions of the poor.
Corruption
Corruption is an evil and a sickness that has been allowed to root itself in Namibia
and as long as it is evident, will continue to have a devastating impact on the social,
economic and political development of the country. It is well-known that corruption
thrives when decision-making is unclear and arbitrary, when there is a lack of
accountability and where the Government fails to introduce effective and adequate
control measures. Unfortunately Namibia’s bad governance is putting the country in
this dismal situation.
It is a pity that those who have expected to be liberated from oppression and poverty,
the poor and unemployed, are particularly the ones who suffer most due to the high
level of corruption.
The high level of corruption in Namibia has caused a lack of resources and thus
caused the Swapo government to fail in ensuring that Namibia’s resources are spend
on activities and productive programs that would promote growth, such as primary
education and basic health care, which promote economic growth. Such spending
would benefit the poor and unemployed tremendously. Swapo is would rather be
distracted by large procurement projects like the State House, Government office
blocks, aircraft purchasing as well as arms and defence contracts
It has long been evident that elections in Namibia are not free and fair because
the Swapo Government continuously tries to consolidate its political power and will
do everything possible to reduce political competition. The result therefore is that
political development has been distorted and delayed and transparency of political
decision-making is being neglected.
The Republican Party has the political will to fight corruption and we will do whatever
necessary to ensure:
• That the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACC) be allowed to, effectively and without
interference, audit and monitor institutions and persons.
• That the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACC) be able to appoint non-corrupt policing and
detective personnel
• That the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACC) has access to a non-corrupt judicial
system, including the Minister and officials.
Persons with Disabilities, Vulnerable Children and Orphans
The Republican Party shall apply all its efforts:
• To create a Ministry that will exclusively deal with the plight of the person with
disability, vulnerable children and orphans. To ensure that the persons with
disabilities enjoy equal status and respect when it comes to the employment,
sporting events, allocation of tenders, promotions, resettlement and housing
acquisition.
• To ensure that the vulnerable children and the orphans receive free medical care,
and education to be subsidized by the state.
• To ensure that government infrastructures are accessible to the persons with
disabilities and to facilitate the organizations and associations of the people with
disabilities.
Health
The Swapo government inherited an excellent health infrastructure at Independence,
but allowed it to deteriorate to the point where our hospitals and theatres have
become so dilapidated. It will cost millions to repair because it is obvious that
very little, if any maintenance has been performed on state hospitals and hospital
pharmacies are no longer stocked with the required medicines with the result that
many patients, rather opt to go to private hospitals at great cost.
The Republican Party shall apply all its efforts:
• To ensure that all state hospitals and clinics be well maintained and properly
equipped
• To ensure hospital- and clinic pharmacies are consistently equipped with the
required medicine
• To ensure that priority is given to Namibian nurses and sisters to be employed
and trained and for them to meet with international standards and be remunerated
accordingly
• To ensure that those Namibians who cannot afford medical services (the poor,
unemployed and pensioners) be subsidized by the government
• To ensure that only medical doctors, nurses and sisters be appointed who can
properly speak the National language in order to be able to communicate with the
patients and therefore make the correct diagnosis
Black Economic Empowerment
The Republican Party of Namibia wholeheartedly welcomes the economic
empowerment of the previously disadvantaged fellow Namibians. The concept
of Black Economic Empowerment was supposed to be a vehicle to economically
empower the previously disadvantaged Namibians, but it has been proven to be
deficient and elitist.
The current Black Economic Empowerment scheme did not actually seek to reduce
poverty or to distribute resources equally among the economically disenfranchised
sector of the Namibian society, but was an economic strategy aimed at creating a
black capitalist class and not an anticipated black egalitarian society.
Despite its laudable intentions, BEE initiative failed to address the basic requirement
of wealth redistribution amongst the nation as a whole.
The Republican Party has the political will to fight corruption and we will do whatever
necessary to ensure:
• That the BEE includes the empowerment of all black citizens of Namibia, including
the workers, women, the youth, people living with disabilities and those living in
the rural areas and not only the middle class.
• That BEE addresses the expansion of enterprises so as to create more
employment opportunities for the ordinary citizens, the workers and the rural
communities.
• That BEE increases the number of competent and technically skilled black people
who own and manage enterprises and productive assets, while enabling the
ownership, control and management of enterprises and productive assets by black
communities, workers, cooperatives and other collectives.
• That BEE charters and codes of good practice should be developed on
consultative basis by stakeholders with the br oarder civil society formations and
comply with the national policy.
• That communities and the civil society formations actively participate in the
appointment of trustees and other aspects of administering and managing
such empowerment scheme in the same capacity as shareholders of private
companies.
• The BEE deals invest in the productive sectors of the Namibian economy and
should be built around the development and reconstruction programmes of the
country.
• The private sector should recognized their collective obligations and play
a vital role to invest in the country and assist the national government in
achieving development goals and should increase affords for real and effective
empowerment.
Namibia elections 2009 : Polling stations Abroad
Namibia elections 2009 : Polling stations Abroad located at Namibian foreign missions set up by the Electoral Commission of Namibia(ECN), voting is expected to take place on 13th November 2009.
Contact details and location :
ANGOLA – Luanda
Physical Address: Rua da liberdade No. 20, Vila Alice
Phone: +244-222 321241/321952/322136
Fax: +24222322008/323848/320018
Email: embnam@netangola.com
BRAZIL – Brasilia
Physical Address: Shis Qi 09, Conjunto 08, Casa 11, Lago Sul
Phone: +55-61 3248 6274/7621
Fax: +55-61 3248 7135
Email: namibianembassy_brazil@ibest.com.br
BRAZIL - Rio de Janeiro
Mr. Sisario Haufiku
Centro de Instrução Almirante Alexandrino
Av. Brasil, 10946-Penha
Rio de Janeiro
Fax: 0055 21 21266012 or 21 21266030
Para/Attention
CF Sizario A.H
Official de Ligação da Namibia
CHINA – Beijing
Physical Address: 2-9--2 Ta Yuan
Diplomatic Office Building
100600
Phone: +86-10-653-22211
+86-10-653-24810
Fax: +86-10-653-24549
Email: namemb@eastnet.com.cn
CUBA - Havana
Physical Address: 36 Street No. 504
Between 5th and 5th A
Miramar, Playa
Phone: +53-7-204-1430
+53-7-204-1428
Fax: +53-7-204-1431
Email: embnamib@ceniai.info.cu
EGYPT – Cairo
Physical Address: Villa 60, Al Nahda Street Maadi
Phone: (202) - 23584467 or(202)2378 6663/4
Fax: +23-598-170
E-mail: namembcai@link.net
ETHIOPIA – Addis Ababa
Physical Address: Bole Road W. 17 K. 19, House No. 002,
Phone: +2511-1-6611966
+2511-1- 612055
Fax: +2511-1-612677
Email: nam.emb@telecom.net.et
FRANCE – Paris
Physical Address: 80 Avenue Foch 17
Square de l/Avenue Foch
Phone: +33-1-4417-3265
+33-1-4417-3276
Fax:+33-1-4417-3273
Email: namparis@club-internet.fr
INDIA – New Delhi
Physical Address: B-89, Vascant Vihar
Phone: +91-11-261 40389/ 40890/4772
Fax: +91-11-261 46120/ 261 55482
Email: nhcdelhi@del2.vsnl.net.in
MALAYSIA – Kuala Lumpur
Physical Address: Suite 15-01, Level 15
Menara HLA
No. 3 Jalan Kia Peng
50450
Phone: +60-3-21646520
+60-3-21628950
Fax: +60-3-21688790
+60-3-21688657
Email: namhckl@streamyx.com
RUSSIA – Moscow
Physical Address: 2nd Kazachy Lane
House No. 7
Phone: +7-095-230-3275
Fax: +7-095-230-2274
Email: namembrf@online.ru
SOUTH AFRICA – Cape Town
Ground Floor
The Pinnacle
Burg Street
Cape Town, 8001
Tel: +27 21 4223298
Fax: +27 21 4225132
Email: namibia@saol.com
SOUTH AFRICA – Pretoria
Physical Address: 197 Blackwood Street
Arcadia
Phone:+27-12-4819100
Fax:+27-12-343-7294
+27-12-344-5998
Email: secretary@namibia.org.za
SWEDEN – Stockholm
Physical Address: Luntmakargatan 86-88
Stockholm
Phone: +46-8-442-9800
+46-8-442-9805
Fax: +46-8-612-6655
Email: info@embassyofnamibia.se
TANZANIA – Dar Es Salaam
Physical Address:373 Mtitu Street, Upanga Area
Phone:+255-22-2151079
Fax: +255 22 2151 069
UNITED KINGDOM – London
6 Chandos Street
WIG 9LU
Phone: +44-207-636-6244
Fax: +44-207-637-5694
Email: namibia-highcomm@btconnect.com
UNITED NATIONS – New York
360 Lexington Avenue
Suite 1502
Tel: +1-212-685 2003
Fax: +1-212-685 1561
E-mail: namibia@un.int
UNITED STATES – Washington D.C.
1605 New Hampshire Ave, N.W.
20009
Phone: +1-202-986-0540
Fax: +1-202-986-0443
Email: embnamibia@aol.com
ZIMBABWE – Harare
Lot 1 of 7A
Borrowdale Estates
69 Borrowdale Road
Phone: +263-4-885-841
+263-4-882-709
Fax: +263-4-885-800
Email: namhighcom@africaonline.co.zw
Namibia Elections 2009 : SWAPO Party list
Namibia Elections 2009 : SWAPO Party list
SWAPO Party list of candidates to the national assembly as elected at the Electoral College held on the 5th September 2009.
1. Cde. Geingob Hage
2. Cde. Iivula-Ithana
3. Cde. Mbumba Nangolo
4. Cde. Ekandjo jerry
5. Cde. Nujoma Utoni
6. Cde. Naruseb Alpheus
7. Cde. Iyambo Abraham
8. Cde. Haingura Petrina
9. Cde. Kamwi Richard
10. Cde. Kazenambo Kazenambo
11. Cde. Kaapanda Joel
12. Cde. Nghimtina Erkki
13. Cde. Mutorwa John
14. Cde. Angula Nahas
15. Cde. Tweya Tjekero
16. Cde. Iilonga Petrus
17. Cde. Gurirab Theo-Ben
18. Cde. Ngatjizeko Immanuel
19. Cde. Shifeta Pohamba
20. Cde. Kaiyamo Elia
21. Cde. Kawana Albert
22. Cde. Esau Benhard
23. Cde. Sioka Doreen
24. Cde. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
25. Cde. Kapia Paulus
26. Cde. Namholo Charles
27. Cde. Mushelenga Peya
28. Cde. Muheua Alpheus
29. Cde. Kasingo Loide
30. Cde. Nashandi Monica
31. Cde. Uutoni Erastus
32. Cde. Mwaningange Billy
33. Cde. Hausiku Marco
34. Cde. Witbooi Lucia
35. Cde. Muharukua Angelika
36. Cde. Xoagus Auguste
37. Cde. Ankama Chief Samuel
38. Cde. Herunga Uahekua
39. Cde. Nghidinua Rosalia
40. Cde. Isaak Willem
41. Cde. Iyambo Nickey
42. Cde. Makgone Sylvia
43. Cde. Namwandi David
44. Cde. Van der Walt Piet
45. Cde. Lucas Lempy
46. Cde. Katali Isak
47. Cde. Nambahu Tommy
48. Cde. Dingara Elifas
49. Cde. Ueitele Festus
50. Cde. Kavetuna Juliet
51. Cde. Amweelo Moses
52. Cde. Nawases-Taeyele
53. Cde. Manambo-Ncube
54. Cde. Amathila Ben
55. Cde. Nandi-Ndaitwah
56. Cde. Basson Lucia
57. Cde. Dinyando Raphael
58. Cde. /Ui/O/Oo Royal J.K
59. Cde. Mushelenga Teopolina
60. Cde. Ipinge Otto
61. Cde. Ndjoze- Ojo
62. Cde. Kandanga-Sheetekela
63. Cde. Mungunda Marlene
64. Cde. Viscaya Amutenya
65. Cde. Simunja Victor
66. Cde. Namalenga David
67. Cde. Konjore Willem
68. Cde. Gideon Sussy
69. Cde. Smith Paul
70. Cde. Angula Helmut
71. Cde. Hoffman Ida
72. Cde. Christiaan Hansina
His Excellency the president’s list of 10 nominees
1. Cde. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila
2. Cde. Charles Namholo
3. Cde. Alpheus Muheua
4. Cde. Monica Nashandi
5. Cde. Billy Mwaningange
6. Cde. Lucia Witbooi
7. Cde. Auguste Xoagus
8. Cde. Uahenka Herunga
9. Cde. Willem Isaack
10. Cde. Sylvia Makgone
At a very successful meeting of the Central Committee of the DTA of Namibia held in Windhoek on the 3rd of October 2009 the following 72 candidates were unanimously elected to represent the party in the upcoming National Assembly elections. The President of the party Mr. Katuutire Kaura was unanimously elected to be the presidential candidate op the Party.
The DTA of Namibia is a political party which arises from and is rooted in the cultural multiplicity of the people of Namibia, with the fundamental aim to advance and maintain peace and prosperity and to achieve national unity based on a multi-party democracy.
Vision
The DTA of Namibia has served and continues to serve all the people of Namibia. If elected to government it will actively address the situation in which our young people find themselves – ineffective education and unemployment that leads to growing poverty and a lack of hope for the future. The DTA will put in place workable policies and plans to create jobs throughout the country, fight crime and corruption by fighting poverty and unemployment, and provide education that will equip young people for the real working world.
The ECN would like to make use of this advertorial to dispel the distorted perceptions and misconceptions that are deliberately created and perpetuated by some leaders of political parties in the media to mislead the public and eligible voters that the electoral process is in jeopardy.
The strategy being employed is to try and cast doubt in the mind of the electorate that the process is not credible, fair and transparent and thereby to discredit the outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections before Namibians have even voted in November. This is also to give credence and justifications to potential disputations of the results and to keep the nation hostage to individual personal interests and political ambitions. We believe that the following strategies are being used to cast doubt in the minds of the registrants and to discredit the election process as a whole:
1. The structure, role, authority and mandate of the ECN as a legal body mandated by law to conduct elections is deliberately being questioned and undermined and the platforms that we have cordially established to consult political stakeholders are deliberately transformed into a theatre for abusing the ECN, feeding of the media and public with misleading information and lack of sensitivity to the total electoral process in general
2. The Commissioners are being subjected to threats and unnecessary demands in terms of the time frame and decisions being prescribed to the ECN that are clearly abrogating the electoral body’s authority and judgement to allocate tender for the printing of ballot papers. The demands and threats by political parties constitute clear political interference in the day-to-day activities of the ECN.
3. Attempts to dispute preliminary figures captured and reported as such during the Supplementary Voter Registration and discrediting the preliminary voter register that is still subject to verification by members of the public and the very same political leaders that are trying to cast doubt on the process. This is also to create a false impression that the figures are being inflated in an attempt to tamper with the November Presidential and National Assembly Elections results. These are serious and irresponsible allegations that warrant a response from the Electoral body.
To dispel and counter the perpetual trumping of this distorted image, the Electoral Commission would like to use this advertorial to present the factual information to the voters and the public and in the process to explain its mandate as an electoral body and the way that the administrative staff and Commissioners are appointed.
2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ECN, STRUCTURE AND MANDATE
The Electoral Commission of Namibia was established in 1992 by virtue of Section 3 of the Electoral Act of 1992 read in conjunction with Section 3 of the Electoral Act 30 of 1998. The Commission established is known as the Electoral Commission and is an agency of the Public Service Act 13 of 1995(Section 3(1)(c)) and they report to Parliament.
The Commission consists of five members appointed by the President by Proclamation in the Gazette(Section 1 of the Electoral Act 11 of 1999). The Commission holds their term of office for 5years(Section 3A of the Electoral Amendment Act 11 of 1999) and they may be reappointed through the same procedure at the end of their term ( Electoral Act 1992, Section 7 and the Electoral Amendment Act 1999 Section 2)
The following procedure must be followed for the appointment of the Commissioners:
(1) The Director (who is the head of the Directorate) invites applications for the appointment to the Commission by notice in the Gazette and two daily newspapers with a national circulation.
(2) A Selection Committee is assembled. Its members must include one staff member of the Supreme Court or of the High Court nominated by the Chief Justice, one lawyer nominated by the law Society of Namibia, one person from the staff of the Ombudsman nominated by the Ombudsman.
(3) The Supreme Court Staff member serves as chairperson of the Selection Committee and the lawyer as the Deputy Chairperson. The Committee is appointed for one year.
(4) The Director convenes a meeting of the Selection Committee, which selects from the applicants between ten and twenty candidates for interview. If there are less than ten applications the Director may invite any person to apply.
(5) The interviews are held at a meeting of the selection Committee, which must be open to the public. The Director must publicize the interviews and details of the applications in the Gazette before the meeting.
(6) Qualifications and criteria for the appointment to the Commission are subject to determination by the Standing Committee on Privileges of Parliament.
(7) Registered voters may submit written objections to any application and may be called to the meeting to answer questions.
(8) Applicants who fail to attend the meeting, or who answer questions untruthfully, are disqualified.
(9) Within ten days of the interviews, the Selection Committee must recommend eight applicants to the President who chooses five of them.
(10) If the Director fails to follow the proper procedure for convening the interviews the President may appoint the Commission on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Privileges of Parliament.
3. VOTER REGISTER
As the ECN stated in all our press statements, the figures that we have announced for both Supplementary Voter Registration and Voters Register are results that we have captured and are subject to verifications. The press release by the DTA in which that party is clearly questioning the integrity, reliability and validity of the figures is clearly mistimed and misplaced because the verification process is continuing and the DTA is also party to that verification process. Statistics can never be 100% accurate, but similarly it is not appropriate for a political party to propagate claims to the effect that Namibia’s voter register does not exist. This is tantamount to denigrating the integrity and intelligence of those conducting the electoral process.
Furthermore, I would like to state in clear terminology for the benefit of the DTA leaders that the results that we reported for Supplementary Voter Registration is the actual data that we have captured from eligible voters at our registration points throughout the country. These data as we have consistently pointed out are subject to verification and we do not see any point responding to clearly politicized statements coming from political parties that are campaigning for votes by all non-conventional means they deem necessary.
In the same press release that was meant to question the reliability co-efficiency of our data, the party went on rampage and decided to associate the ECN with one of the parties contesting elections. We found such behaviours and attitudes from a supposedly mature party like the DTA completely unacceptable, arrogant and irresponsible. We found it completely unethical, uncivil and morally objectionable to insult and judge the character of the Director of ECN despite the cordial relationship that he has been trying to promote between political parties and the ECN. We will continue to carry out our mandate in a fair, transparent and professional manner despite these unnecessary attempts to assassinate the character of the Director of Elections. The Electoral Commission of Namibia is happy to explain to the people of Namibia that the process of registration had three components.
a) People who register either for the first time in their lives or those who did not register after 2003. This group is called New Registrations.
b) People who were registered before and have for one reason or another lost their voters cards. This category is called Registration for Duplicates. Their duplicates are discarded from the roll.
c) People who have or have not lost their cards but who have changed addresses by virtue of moving from one constituency to another. This is registration resulting from change of address. The first registration has to be discarded. We call it discarding because in as much as the entry is eliminated from the roll, it is kept safe and as such all transactions on the Namibian Voters roll are clearly traceable.
ECN clarifies that the more than 290,000 figure that came from the registration exercise excluding the totals from the Erongo Region during the period 27-30 September. As a result hereof the total figure came to 306,482 not broken down in terms of new registrations, duplicates or change of addresses.
ECN further points out that because some registrants were looking for duplicates, others re-registering because of change in abode, making an erroneous conclusion that all the people were going to vote is not only fallacious, to say the least, but apparently aimed at deliberately putting the name of the electoral umpire in Namibia – ECN – into disrepute. Everybody who has participated in any registration knows very well – and will not be fooled in believing the attempt by the DTA of Namibia to mislead as far as the process is concerned. Duplicates would have to be eliminated as they appear in various forms.
It is very unfortunate that the DTA mentions the e-mailed figures and decides to be economical with the truth in the sense that the e-mailed figures for both Erongo and Kavango Regions are clearly broken down in terms of the classifications of new registrations, duplicates and change of address. Yet the DTA decided to be silent about this fact.
4. TENDERS FOR BALLOT PAPERS
The Act in Section 74 (which Section has been amended in two occasions the last occasion being by Section 12 of Act 30 of 1998) requires the Electoral Commission to provide returning officers with amongst others ballot papers for the purposes of conducting an election.
In 1998 the Electoral Commission of Namibia resolved that the printing of ballot papers be done locally in Namibia. The decision as to who will print the ballot papers is taken after companies are invited to submit quotes for the printing of the ballot papers. Once the tenders have been received, they are opened and evaluated in the presence of the Tender Board officials where a decision is taken to award the job to the successful tenderer.
It may also be appropriate to observe that the Electoral Commission has put in place mechanism to ensure the transparency and security during the process of printing the ballot papers. The mechanisms that the Electoral Commission has put in place are as follows:
All participating political parties are:-
Ø allowed to be present when the printing company draws the paper on which the ballot papers will be printed;
Ø allowed to be present and witness the process of printing the ballot papers;
Ø allowed to be present and witness the packaging of the ballot papers;
Ø allowed to be present on a twenty four hour basis on the premises where the ballot papers are stored;
Ø allowed to be present and witness the delivery of the ballot papers by the printing company to the electoral Commission
Printing of the Ballot Papers for 2009 Elections
At a consultative meeting convened on Monday with political parties, one of the issues raised strongly by political parties was the fact that in terms of the Electoral Act the distinctive symbols of political parties registered with ECN shall appear on the Ballot Papers. The demand of the political parties registered with ECN to have their distinctive symbols appear on the ballot papers is supported by law.
Section 39(3)(f) reads: “The distinctive symbol of the political party may appear on the ballot paper referred to in paragraph (b), if the political party desires such symbol to so appear.” Section 40 (a) of the same Act also refers to a “distinctive symbol” which must be registered with the ECN.
It has become an established practice and convention over the course of the years for the ECN in consultation with political parties to print ballot papers in black and white for the purpose of being cost-effective.
The specifications of the tender as awarded to NAMPRINT do not require printing of the ballot papers in colour. The fact is that most political parties have registered their distinctive symbols with ECN in colour and have demanded in this election that they appear on the ballot paper in that form. Hence, the ECN considered the request by the political parties and although the implementation thereof will carry increased financial implications. Consequently the ECN decided to withdraw the awarding of the tender to NAMPRINT. Another tender will be called in compliance with tender procedures in terms of the Tender Act.
Monitor Action Group MAG's list of 72 candidates- Namibia Elections 2009
Monitor Action Group (MAG) has released the names of its 72 members for the National Assembly after the Presidential and National Assembly elections, scheduled to take place from 27-28 November this year.
MAG's Secretary Jurie Viljoen said in a media release provided to Nampa on Friday that the party's electoral college, which took place in late September this year, elected the candidates.
Following is the list of the party's 72 members:
1. Johannes Jurie Viljoen
2. Gernot Wilfrid Schaaf
3.Johannes Cocklin
4.Eric Peters
5.Paul Oosthuizen
6.Gerhardus Engelbrecht
7.Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius
8. Johannes Jurie van Der berg
9. Willem lodewikus Viljoen
10. Petrus Johannes Jacobus Engelbrecht
11. Prinsloo van Rhyn
12.Hester Gertruida Blaauw
13. Leeon van Schalkwyk Blaauw
14. David Hercules Botha
15.Dirk Jacobus Botha
16.Hercules David Botha
17. Alexander J H Brits
18. Stefanus Francois Coetzee
19.Gert Johannes Crafford
20. Hendrik Petrus de Beer
21.Andries D L du Plessis
22. Margerethe Elizabeth du Plessis
23. Markus Albertus du Plessis
24. Catharina Helena Duvenhage
25.Michael Christiaan Duvenhage
26. Jasper Johannes Engelbrecht
27.Johannes Frederik Engelbrecht
28. Martha Dorothea Engelbrecht
29. Hester Jochina Esterhuizen
30.Willem Christoffel Esterhuizen
31.Ingeborg Henriette Gladis
32. Daniel Jacobus Grobbelaar
33. Gertuida Grobbelaar
34. Valme Brobbelaar
35.Carl Friedrich Hinterholzer
36.Johann Janse van Rensburg
37. Mercia Valery Janse van Rensburg
38. Frederick Jacobus Jooste
39. Isabella Eliabeth Jooste
40.Christina Johanna Kok
41. Pieter van der Smit Kok
42. Dirk Jacobus Kotze
43. Eleanor Matilda Kriel
44. Pieter A B J Liebenberg
45.Jacobus Stefanu Linde
46.Christiaan Hendrik Louw
47. Hester Agnes Marias
48. Aletta Johanna Meyer
49. Ernst Theodore Meyer
50. Izak Johannes Mostert
51. Maria Hendrika Mostert
52.Wnda Oosthuizen
53.Tanja Praetorius
54.Susan mathilda Pretorius
55. Wessel Steyn Pretorius
56. George Dierik Prinsloo
57. Barend Johanness Labbert
58. Petronella Francina Slabbert
59.Catharina Petronella Steyn
60. Phillipus Lodewikus Steyn
61. Ellina Theron
62.Pieter Hendrik van der Merwe
63. Dorothea van der Merwe
64. Amelia van der Wath
65. Coenraad J S van der Wath
66.Cornelia Magdalena van Rhyn
67.Hermanus Johannes Vermaak
68. Johannes Hendrik Vermaak
69.Ockert Cornelius Vermeulen
70.Elizabeth M Viljoen
71.Lourensia Weimann
72.Uwe Ulrich Weimann
(NAMPA)
Namibia Elections Manifesto of 7 Political parties
Party manifestos of 7 registered political parties for the upcoming elections namely :
APP
CoD
DTA
MAG
Nudo
RDP
Swanu
WE PLEDGE OUR COMMITMENT TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
CODE OF CONDUCT
An essential part of free and fair elections is freedom of political campaigning. Everyone has the right to express his or her political convictions and ideas, without threat or fear of intimidation. Freedom of political campaigning, however, also carries responsibilities which include the freedom of others to express their own and independent opinion.
The Namibian political parties, associations, organisations and independent candidates subscribe to the following:
Intimidation, in any form, is impermissible
* No weapon of any kind, including any traditional weapon, may be brought to any political rally, meeting, march or other demonstration.
* Parties shall avoid holding rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations physically close to one another during the same time of the day
* Parties shall refrain from utilising public address system, either fixed or mobile between 21:00 and 07:00 hours and which could constitute a public nuisance
* Speakers at political rallies may not use language which incites violence in any form against any other person or group of persons. Parties will not issue pamphlets, newsletters or posters which contain materials which incite people to violence.
* Party members and supporters will not seek to obstruct other persons from attending the political rallies of other parties
* Party members and supporters will not disfigure or destroy political or campaign materials of other parties
Party leaders will use their good offices to seek to ensure reasonable freedom of access by all political parties to potential voters, including those at farms and on state owned properties, outside working hours
* Parties will establish lines of communication to one another at headquarters, regional and local levels, and will appoint liaison personnel who will be constantly on call to deal with problems that may arise
* The Director of Elections will meet party representatives on a weekly basis to discuss all matters of concern related to the election campaign and the election itself. Emergency meetings will be convened as and when necessary
* Designated members will attend their parties’ rallies to ensure compliance with this Code.
* All allegations of intimidation and other unlawful conduct in the election campaign will be brought to the attention of the Police and to the attention of Directorate of Elections at the place where they are alleged to have occurred.
* Party leaders will issue directions to their members and supporters to observe this Code of Conduct, and take all other necessary steps to ensure compliance.
* The Electoral Commission of Namibia and party leaders undertake to publicise this Code of Conduct throughout Namibia by all means at their disposal.
* Parties will in their advertising and propaganda efforts take care not to disfigure the environment.
Elections Eye
Elections Eye is a monthly electronic newsletter covering the upcoming elections as part of Namibian civil society elections observation programme. It is implemented by the Civil Society Elections Coalition (CSEC).
Spot the difference: Political party platforms compared
Spot the difference: Political party platforms compared
Analysis of political parties’ ideological histories; comparing manifestos and publications across a wide range of issues
http://www.nid.org.na/pdf/publications/no2_04.pdf
